Biodiversity: “Peace with Nature” – World Summit on Nature begins in Canada

Milestone settlement in sight?

Organizers, scientists and representatives of non-governmental organizations hope that the meeting, which runs until December 19, will lead to a historic global agreement on the conservation of the species. One of the main goals of the convention is to protect at least 30 percent of the world’s land and sea areas by 2030. A solid financial basis for global species conservation also plays an important role in the upcoming negotiations.

Federal Development Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) advocated for the strengthening of the rights of indigenous peoples in global nature protection. “The key to success at the World Conference on Nature is not only to look at nature, but also to look at the people who live in and on nature,” said Schulz of the German press agency. Nature conservation works best when it also provides an economic perspective to local people. This is where development policy comes in handy. It should be designed in such a way that it is more meaningful to “live from nature than from its destruction,” Schulz insisted.

Guterres impressed by climate activists

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on the participating states to adopt an effective agreement. “Nature is in danger – it is being attacked.” Trudeau briefly interrupted his speech due to protests from activists.

UN chief Guterres has insisted he is inspired by young climate activists around the world – but it cannot be left to young people to fix the current chaos. “We must take responsibility for the damage that has been done and act to fix it. Despite the dreams of self-fooling billionaires, there is no Planet B. We must fix our world.

Originally, the 15th World Summit on Nature – also known by the acronym COP15 – was supposed to take place in China in 2020. However, it was then postponed and split due to the ongoing pandemic situation there. The first part of the talks took place last October, primarily online, in Kunming, China.